Numerous prior art devices have been employed for use in packaging uniform articles into containers. Some of these devices merely package articles at random into a container until a predetermined weight is reached or until the box becomes full whereupon it is sealed and transported. However, such a packaging device has the disadvantage of failing to provide a means for packaging the articles systematically and in an ordered arrangement so that maximum density packing can be achieved. This is particularly true when considering devices which pack spherically shaped articles such as fruit and the like.
Although some machines have attempted to pack articles such as fruit in layer arrangements and in nested relationship, most of these do not pack articles very quickly since only one layer is disposed into a container at any one time. With articles such as fruit, a fast packing operation would be highly advantageous since entire fruit crops often ripen over a short period and fruit must be packed quickly within a short time period in order to reduce the possibility of the fruit bruising, overripening or spoiling before it ultimately reaches the consumer.
Thus, it would be advantageous for a machine to quickly pack layers of fruit in a relationship so as to optimize the available packing room inside the container and also to provide a compact arrangement so that the articles such as fruit will be self protected by their own immobility inside the container. Not only would it be advantageous to have the fruit or other articles packed in a nested relationship by layer, but it would also be advantageous to have the fruit nested between layers so that the fruit in one layer is slightly offset from the layer immediately below and/or immediately above it. Also, the fruit should be picked up and delivered into the carton by a means which would minimize damage to the fruit or articles.
It would also be advantageous for such a machine to be accommodating to different sized articles quickly and easily so that its use would not be limited to a certain sized article or type of fruit. Not only might the number of articles per layer be different for the same sized container, but the number of layers in the container might also change depending upon the size of the article and the size of the container or box.